A PLANNING inspector has been told overturning a council decision to reject KFC's plans for a former Ewell pub would lead to "serious" congestion and safety issues.

A public inquiry was held at Epsom Town Hall last week after the fast-food chain appealed against the borough council's decision to turn down its application for a restaurant and takeaway at the former Organ & Dragon pub, in London Road.

At the inquiry on Thursday (May 9) Hugh Flanagan, for Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, said KFC had significantly underestimated the impact extra traffic created by the restaurant would have on the "already heavily congested" junction.

He said there were serious safety concerns with plans for vehicles to access the site, adding: "The traffic generated is likely to have adverse implications on safety.

"The appeal proposed will add to the traffic generally.. and the site is poorly served in terms of pedestrian access."

But KFC representative Satnam Choongh said the traffic generated by the fast-food outlet - estimated to be 33 additional vehicles an hour at peak times - would have a "minimal and negligible impact on traffic flow" at the junction where London Road meets the A240 Ewell By-Pass.

He added: "Will there be a severe impact on existing queues? No."

Mr Flanagan urged the inspector to uphold the council's decision and reject KFC's appeal due to the affect the takeaway would have on highway safety and traffic flow at the busy crossroads.

But Mr Choongh, who accused the council's case of being "threadbare", said the inspector should support the proposal to bring an empty building back into use.

"The site should not lay vacant and dormant," Mr Choongh said. "This provides the opportunity to build a successful business on the site of one that has failed.

"We are not living in times where we can turn away economic, sustainable development.

"There's no reason why planning permission should be refused and plenty of good reasons why it should be approved."

The Planning Inspectorate - the government agency that oversees planning decisions across the country - is expected to publish a decision within the next few weeks.